NY Diocese Files for Bankruptcy in Light of Misconduct Suits

Rochester is the state’s first to seek court protection. It may not be the last

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester was the first in New York to seek bankruptcy protection under the weight of new sexual misconduct lawsuits, but lawyers and church leaders say it may not be the last.

All eight of the state’s Roman Catholic dioceses face financial pressures as a result of the state’s new Child Victims Act, which temporarily set aside the usual statute of limitations for lawsuits to give victims of childhood sexual abuse a year to pursue even decades-old claims.

More than 400 cases have been brought against the dioceses since Aug. 14, when the law’s one-year “look back” period for such suits began.